Arch construction for women&#39;s shoes



Nov. 19, 1935, H. GORDON ARCH CONSTRUCTION FOR WOMENS SHOES Filed March 5, 19154 z'ram 60212 011 :/%c////JZ Z! Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCH CONSTRUCTION FOR WOMENS SHOES Hiram Gordon, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Walker T. Dickerson Company, Columbus, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application March 5, 1934, Serial No. 714,077

8 Claims. (01. 36-76) 7 also, to support the human foot in proper walking positions so as to prevent or minimizethe tendency of the shoe to incline toward one side or the other and improperly support the foot after some use of such shoes has taken place. To this end the prior art discloses shoes provided with metallic reenforcements, termed shank irons or shank stiifeners which in general comprise metallic strips confined in the shank portion of a shoe usually between the insole and outsole thereof a and extending longitudinally of the shoe from the heel region thereof throughout the length of the shank and terminating ordinarily contiguous to the metatarsal region of such a shoe. Considerable difficulty has been encountered, however, in the matter of obtaining the proper design and positioning of these metallic shank stiffeners in the matter of securing the maximum degree of benefit therefrom and. at the same time to prevent their presence from being objectionable to the shoe wearer.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide such improved metallic shank stiffener which is so disposed that it will extend longitudinally of the shank of a 7 shoe between the insole and outsole thereof from the heel to the metatarsal portions of the shoe, and wherein the said shank stiffener possesses a peculiar longitudinal formation by which it serves, when operatively positioned, to effect improved support of the foot arches by being shaped and located so that it will closely cooperate with the outer portions of the foot where the foot pressures on the shoe are the greatest in order to brace that region of the shoe and to prevent the turning and bending thereof in response to such pressures during extended periods of wear.

It is another object of the invention to shape and locate the shank stiffener so that it will engage and closely conform to the shape of the outer marginal rib of an insole, the stifiener lying in the, space provided in a shoe between the inner and outer soles thereof and immediately adjacent to the depending outer rib of the insole with which the contiguous portions of the shoe counter and outsoles are connected, whereby the operating positions of the stiffener are maintained and its forces so applied as to obtain a maximum degree of support at that particularly vulnerable portion of a shoe shank.

Other objects of the invention reside in forming the forward and lower end of the shank stiffener with a seat adapted for the accommodation 5 of a pad of resilient material disposed to support and sustain the metatarsal region of the human foot and provide in conjunction with the shape and location of the shank stiffener and the provision of the resilient pad improved correction 10 features for abnormalities obtained as a result of displacement of the calcaneum or os calcis and metatarsal deformities of the human foot, to form and regulate the position of the forward end of the metallic shank stiffener so that after Wear 15 of the shoe, it will not force or project itself through the outsole, to provide a shank stiffener of economical construction which may be readily applied to a shoe during its course of manufacture and which when inserted will not mar or change theappearance of standard shoe styles, permitting correct orthopedic principles to be incorporated in shoes of conventional configuration and avoiding specifically the awkward appearance of the so-called correctional shoe. 25 For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are plan views of left and right shoes inverted, disclosing my improved shank 30 stiffeners incorporated therein, the outsoles of the shoes being omitted in order to develop the operating positions of the shank stiffener in relation to the outer ribs of the insole and the association of their forward ends with the metatarsal pads; 35

Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, of a shoe provided with my improved shank stiffener;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shank stiffener with the metatarsal pad removed.

Referring more particularly to the specific embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the drawing, the numeral I designates the standard outsole of a shoe, the numeral 2 the insole thereof and the numeral 3 the upper or body of the shoe. These parts may be formed from the usual materials employedin shoe manufacture and assembled by customary methods. Thus in the welt type of shoe specifically illustrated, the insole has its under surface marginally cut to provide downwardly extending ribs 4. Similarly, the marginal portions of the outsole may present Welts 5, and the lower marginal portions of the upper 3 are disposed between the ribs 4 and the welts 5 and are permanently secured in connection therewith by the transverse stitching 6. The body 3, of course, includes the usual inner lining l and the leather or other semi-stiff reenforeing counter B. A sock lining 9 may be applied as usual to the upper surface of the insole 2. Likewise, as is customary, the marginal portions of the outsole which are employed in producing the welt 5 are united by the stitching H].

In providing my improved shank reenforcement in a shoe of this general character, the shoe while held on a last and prior to the application thereto of the outsole and heel II has placed thereon a metallic shank stifiener l2 of the form disclosed particularly in the drawing. This stiffener is formed from a blank of sheet metal which, as shown in Fig. 4 is of substantially V-shaped formation in transverse cross section and possesses a length so that when applied to the shoe, it will extend from approximately the center of the heel region throughout the length of the longitudinal arch or shank l3 of the shoe and terminates contiguous to the line of juncture formed between the forward portion of the shank and the horizontal forwardly extending part of the outsole. The outer edge of the stiffener possesses a curvilineal form adapting it for close engagement with the inner side of the outside rib 4 of the insole 2, the entire stiffener being disposed in the space 14 of the shoe shank formed between the ribs 4, the under part of the insole 2 and the upper surface of the outsole I, the longitudinal center line of the shank stiffener being arranged toward the outside of the shoe and laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal center of the shoe, as clearly depicted in Figs. 1 and 4. The shape of the stiffener and the fact that it is formed for engagement with the outer rib of the insole provide for its ready application and insures its proper position within the shoe during manufacture of the latter and, moreover, the stiffener is positioned where it will provide for the greatest degree of support of the human foot from a standpoint of correct orthopedics.

The forward or lower portion of the shank stiffener is flared transversely as at 15 and inwardly notched as at I6 to constitute a seat for the reception of the rearwardly and upwardly extending portion I! of a resilient metatarsal pad l8. This pad, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is disposed between the insole and the outsole at the forward lower end of the shoe shank and serves to produce an upwardly extending convex protuberance on the insole, functioning to provide for the improved support of the metatarsal structure of the foot. The notched portion 16 at the forward end of the metallic stiffener serves to effect such a termination of the stiffener as to prevent it from projecting through the outsole I after the latter has received some degree of wear, which is in contrast with the previous practice of extending the metallic stiifener to a position farther forward and beneath the metatarsal pad so that after some wear of a shoe so formed, there is a marked tendency for the metallic stiffener to project through the outsole and thereby cause premature repair or abandonment of the shoe.

In most shoes of this type, the space M formed by the marginal rib of the insole, and prior to the application of the outsole thereto, is filled in with a body of granulated cork, containing a suitable binder. The flexibility of the shank region of the shoe may be controlled by the amount of the cork or other filler packed into the space l4.

In certain instances, the, filler may be omitted altogether from the shank region to produce extreme flexibility, or if it is desired to produce a shank having greater rigidity, or less flexibility, the space M in the shank region may be partially or completely filled with the cork filler. It will be understood that the filler is applied to the shoe after the installation of a shank stiffener and its associated metatarsal pad and after which the outsole is secured in place.

What is claimed is:

1. A shank stiffener adapted to be built into a shank region of the shoe, comprising an elon- 25 gated metallic plate arched longitudinally to conform with the shank curvature of a shoe, said plate being substantially v-shaped in transverse cross section and of a width materially less than that of the shank region of the shoe, the outer edge of said plate being longitudinally curved to abut and conform to the curvature of the adjoining portions of the outer rib of the shoe insole.

3. A shank stiffener formed for insertion between the inner and outer soles of a shoe in the shank region of the shoe, comprising an elongated metallic plate arched longitudinally to conform with the shank curvature of a shoe, said plate being substantially V-shaped in transverse cross section and of a width materially less than that of the shank region of the shoe, the outer edge of said plate being longitudinally curved to adjoin and conform to the curvature of the outer rib of the shoe insole, and a V-shaped seat provided at the forward end of said plate for the reception of a resilient metatarsal pad.

4. In a shoe, a shank stiffener adapted to be confined in said shoe between the inner and outer soles thereof and comprising a relatively thin elongated metallic plate, arched longitudinally between its forward and rear ends, and a metatarsal cushion arranged at the forward end of said plate and supported thereby, said cushion being formed from an integral body of rubber having a substantially convex upper insole engaging surface, a lower relatively flat out-sole engaging surface, and an upwardly and rearwardly projecting plate engaging extension which overlies at least the forward edge of said plate, the said forward edge of said plate terminating in a plane above that of the lower surface of the cushion.

5. In a shoe, a shank stiffener adapted to be confined in said shoe between the inner and outer soles thereof and comprising a thin elongated metallic plate arched longitudinally between its forward and rear ends to extend substantially throughout the length of the arched shank region of the shoe, the forward end of said plate being widened transversely and provided with a notched forward edge to form a pad seat, a pad of resilient material disposed in the metatarsal region of the shoe between the inner and outer soles and including an upwardly and rearwardly inclined extension seated in engagement with the forward end of said stiffener, the forward edge of the stifiener terminating in a plane above that of the bottom of said pad.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a shank stifiener for shoes comprising a thin elongated metallic plate arched longitudinally between its forward and rear ends, the forward end of said plate being formed to embody a pad seat of greater transverse width than the body of said plate, the forward edge of said plate being shaped to constitute an inwardly directed recess.

'7. In a shoe, the combination with an insole provided with a marginal downwardly projecting rib, an outsole marginally joined with said rib and spaced from the body of the insole to produce a shank chamber, a shank stiffener embodying an elongated metallic plate arched longitudinally to conform with the shank curvature of the shoe, the outer edge of said plate being of curvilineal formation to closely engage and conform with the shape of the outer marginal rib of the insole with which the edge of said plate adjoins, said plate possessing a width materially less than that of the shank chamber, whereby said stiffener is disposed in engagement with one side only of the chamber and laterally of the true center thereof.

8. In a shoe, the combination with an insole provided with a marginal downwardly projecting rib, an outsole marginally joined with said rib and spaced from the body of the insole to produce a shank chamber, a shank stifiener embodying an elongated metallic plate arched longitudinally to conform with the shank curvature of the shoe, the outer edge of said plate being of curvilineal formation to closely engage and conform with the shape of the outer marginal rib of the insole with which the edge of said plate adjoins, said plate possessing a width materially less than that of the shank chamber, whereby said stiffener is disposed in engagement with one side only of the chamber and laterally said stiffener being terminated in a pad seat.

HIRAM GORDON.

of the true center thereof, the forward end of 20 

